Science motivation for 2016 CIDER Summer Program

Geological activity, such as mountain building and volcanism, is
ultimately the consequence of the creeping convective flow in the
interior. Deciphering the structure and time dependence of this flow
provides a framework for unraveling the complex interplay of processes
that shaped the long-term evolution of Earth. This summer program will
focus on two aspects of mantle flow.

First, how can we best use and
integrate measurements from seismology, heat flow, geodesy, and
mineral physics as constraints on models of present-day flow? The
overarching goal is assess uncertainties and identify areas where
progress in modeling and observations will be most useful.

The second
component of this program will deal with the long-term evolution of
flow: why does plate tectonics occur? why does subduction initiate?
how has heat flow and convective vigor varied over time? These
questions are less thoroughly constrained by direct observation, but
are still intimately connected with our interpretation of the
geological record. This theme is motivated by simultaneous
improvements in the observations and advances in geodynamic modeling,
in particular inverse modeling and the ability to assimilate data.